Do the Patriots Have a Legitimate MVP Candidate?

The New England Patriots probably aren't going to be fielding any MVP candidates in 2025. This is a team that went 4-13 in each of the last two years, and even though improvement is expected this coming season, we probably won't see that much of a jump.

Nevertheless, Brandon Austin of Pro Football Network put together a list of each team's top MVP hopeful going into the new NFL campaign, and his pick for the Patriots probably won't surprise you: quarterback Drake Maye.

"The Patriots made upgrades up front and added [Stefon] Diggs and running back TreVeyon Henderson. A new coaching staff, led by Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels, gives Maye a better setup to take a step forward," Austin wrote. "The big question is whether New England will be competitive enough for Maye to enter the MVP chat."

The answer to Austin's question is probably not, and even if they are, it's hard to imagine that Maye will be able to genuinely post MVP-caliber numbers as soon as his second season, particularly with all of the concerns the Pats are still facing on the offensive side of the ball.

Yes, the Patriots added some new weapons, but Diggs is 31 years old coming off of an ACL tear, Mack Hollins is really nothing more than auxiliary option, and while Kyle Williams is an enticing prospect, he is just a rookie.

That's not to mention the fact that New England's offensive line is still a major question mark heading into 2025, even if the Pats selected left tackle Will Campbell fourth overall and made some solid free-agent additions.

Maye threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games and 12 starts last season, also rushing for 421 yards and a couple of scores. He fumbled nine times, as well, so he will have to take much better care of the football to make a significant jump in his sophomore campaign.